Application Design - Project 1 : Mobile Application Proposal

22.4.2024 - 19.5.2024 ( Week 1- Week 4)

Gam Jze Shin / 0353154
Application Design / Bachelor of Design in Creative Media
Project 1 : Mobile Application Proposal

Index

1. Instructions
2. Project 1: Proposal Draft

3. Project 1: Final Proposal
4. Feedback
5. Reflection

Instructions

Project 1: Proposal Draft

Students are required to create a proposal documentation for their mobile application project. You are required to redesign an existing app that you find unsatisfactory in terms of the user experience or interface design and its subject to preliminary approval by the module coordinator. Students need to do surveys, interviews, market studies and research on the selected topic. The document should also include key features of their mobile application and provide clear flowchart of the app. The document will determine whether the mobile application idea is good to continue to the next development phase. This task is an iterative process whereby during the assignment period, students are free to get feedback from their peers and module coordinator to further refine their idea.

Things to include in the Proposal

fig 1.1 - 1.2 Brief for Mobile Application Proposal

Proposal Draft Task

Choose three company apps that you believe could benefit from enhancements in their design. Your objective is to identify all existing drawbacks and propose potential solutions.
Attached company information, capture screenshots of all pages on each company application design and compile them onto individual slides.
Focus on specific areas within the screenshots that you believe could be improved on their user interface design and user experience.
Accompany each analysis with the rationale behind the identified issues and propose suitable solutions.

Ideation
Here are the three company apps:

Lidow (Photo editing app)
English Dictionary (Education app)
Loud speaker KTV (Music app)

fig 1.3 - 1.5 App chosen

In week 1, we were tasked with identifying three company apps with poor UI/UX to analyze their weaknesses and propose redesign solutions. I completed this task before the week 2 class and presented it to my lecturer, Mr. Wong.

fig 1.6 - 1.7 Ratings and reviews (Lidow, English Dictionary)

The ratings of my first two options are very high, Lidow (4.6) and English (4.7). Despite this, I think the UI of these applications is very bad and could be improved, and Mr. Wong agrees with me. However, Mr. Wong also pointed out that I should refer to user feedback, as their comments are very important. We should base our redesign on user experience.

fig 1.8 Ratings and reviews (Loud Speaker KTV)

For my third option, Loud Speaker KTV, which garnered a rating of 2.7, I expressed a preference for choosing this app. However, Mr. Wong pointed out that the app didn't have any major issues in terms of its UI/UX, which would limit my scope for improvement.

fig 1.9 Senheng app

Therefore, I found another company app with low ratings, negative UI feedback, and an area for potential improvement in the UI. My fourth option is the Senheng app.

fig 1.10 - 1.11 Reviews changing

Besides, based on the lecturer's feedback, I translated the reviews from Chinese into English.

Proposal Draft

Click here to view the proposal draft in Canva.

fig 1.12 Proposal Draft (PDF)

Project 1: Final Proposal

For the final submission of Project 1, there are additional components you need to incorporate. Please refer to the Week 2 lecture slides for guidance; the last two slides detail what should be included. You are only required to concentrate on one company app for your final proposed idea. The document will evaluate whether the mobile application concept deserves advancement to the next development stage. You can start working on it, the submission deadline is on week 4. Don't overlook your e-portfolio; you need to document your thoughts and processes while completing the assignment.

Ideation

fig 2.1 Final proposal style

The color scheme I utilized for my final proposal is based on the Senheng brand's color scheme, incorporating green, red, and white. For fonts, I chose Archivo Black and DM Sans.

fig 2.2 Information needed

Then, I listed all the information sections that I should include in the final proposal on paper. Writing it down gave me a brief direction on what I needed to research. After completing each section, I marked it as done.

Introduction

I research some information of the importance of mobile app design and also the purpose of the proposal via online. References:

Background and contents

fig 2.3 - 2.5 Senheng app current design

I reviewed the Senheng app many times and took screenshots of many functions that I think can be improved, which I then included in the proposal. Based on the user ratings, I found that some of the problems they mentioned were also experienced by me.

fig 2.6 Competitive Analysis

Next, I conducted a competitive analysis by comparing the Senheng app with two popular e-commerce apps. Although Senheng is slightly different because it has its own offline retail shops, unlike Shopee and Lazada, it is now aiming to enhance its online selling capabilities. Therefore, it is suitable to reference these two apps for improvements.

fig 2.7 - 2.8 Weakness and solution

After making the comparison, I listed the weaknesses, strengths, and solutions for redesigning the Senheng app in my final proposal.

fig 2.9 Google Play

Besides, I also went to Google Play Store and App Store to review the ratings, reviews, and details of the Senheng app to find more information that would be helpful for me.

fig 2.10 User demographics

Since Senheng did not have their own data to calculate the user demographics, I used information from SimilarWeb to get the results.

Goals

First, I listed down user needs:

Clear navigation
Simple but attractive Interface
Reliable Functionality
Good brand experience

fig 2.11 - 2.12 Goals

Based on user needs, I have clarified my primary goals, secondary goals, and design strategy. I also reviewed several websites to learn about design strategy techniques for app design. The concept I applied is user-centric design.

User research

There are a lot of user methods to test on an app. the methods I choose is:

Surveys
Interview
User testing

fig 2.13 Plan for user testing

Having a clear plan will help me understand what I am doing at this stage and what I need to continue in the next stage.

Improvement

After presenting my final proposal in the Week 4 class, I identified additional information that could enhance my proposal by making it more comprehensive and detailed. Additionally, the lecturer provided feedback and suggestions for improvements that apply to all students:

Table of contents
Rating check
Element used
Redesign solutions
Brief explanation for every app page

fig 2.14 - 2.15 Information added

Final Proposal

Click here to view the final proposal in Canva.

fig 2.16 Final Proposal (PDF)

Feedback

Week 4
General Feedback: There are some of the information that can be added into the final proposal such as redesign solution, table of content.
Specific Feedback: Mr. Wong mentioned that I should consult recent reviews to ensure they pertain to the current version of the app and are not from several years ago.

General Feedback: We be aware that there is additional information we need to incorporate into our slides; refer to the last two slides of lecturer presentation for the requirements.
Specific Feedback: I can proceed with my selection of company applications, focusing on Senheng. Regarding the ratings aspect, I must provide an explanation rather than solely presenting a screenshot.

Week 2
General Feedback: Include conclusion for every company applications at the end.
Specific Feedback: Mr. Wong advised me to select a company app with low ratings, poor user interface experience, and negative user feedback, indicating room for improvement. Additionally, he recommended converting the Chinese ratings to English.

Reflection

Project 1

In project 1, my task involves selecting a specific company app and comprehensively analyzing its current features, layout, and user experience. During the proposal phase, I noticed the considerable time required for research, app review, consolidation of user feedback, and summarization of all gathered information. Despite the demanding process, completing the proposal provided me with a deeper understanding and clearer direction.

I believe that this project has significantly enhanced my lifelong learning skills. Additionally, I observed that while I might perceive certain app user interfaces as poor, users often prioritize functionality over aesthetics. This observation underscores the critical importance of user feedback for designers to understand user experiences and sentiments regarding the app. It highlights the necessity of incorporating user perspectives rather than solely relying on personal opinions and ideas.

Gam Jze Shin (0353154)

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